Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-10-07

$40 not fear that I intend to trouble you
! long. I would not wish 10 do You amy harm,"
answered Roger, little bitterly
Il had no such thought" said the good old
man. II only wished to know your plans.
know that you would he lost ii Won remain in
France
~ shall lonve France tonight, and only
ash; Of you that you lend me a few clothes
and little money. The money is not for
myself, but for Suzanne, who could not en-
dure depriyation Be sure that will repay
it.n
But SuZanncY
IL have come to take her
You arc going to take ber from uss'
"Why are you surprisedi l. it not my
| rightl cannot live without her"
Listen, Roger" said the old man slowly.
"Here Suzanne will live in peace and com
fort. Here she will have an honorcd name,
which unfortunately you cannot give her
now. Think twice before you drag her into
a life such as yours must be henceforth, in
exile and far from her mothers grave.
| Roger, leave her with us. We love her well
Us well as YOU, and it seems to me that it is
your duty"
"Uncle, hear me! l am, a. you say, dis
gruced and hunted man, condemned limo
Gently to exile from my country. | have
nothing but this child Sh. is everything to
me. l need her, otherwise my heart will
! break. Listen To me and hear tho true story
of this crime for which am unjustly pun
ished. have never told it before, and would
not now, only that you may feel that | am
not entirely unworthy the consolation of my
child"
And then he tod them all, reserving moth
ing except the name Of Julia; and they heard
and believed him truly, and said no more
against his right TO take Suzanne though
their poor Old hearts hled.
"But the guilty one. Have you ever
thought it was that womaul'
ayes, but | cannot believe she did it, Had
she lover who gave her the money? Was
it for vengcancel | am lost in conjecture.
But l shall never give up my intention to
clear up this crime"
Long they talked Of the past, of poor Henri
cite, whose body ths found in the river,
though unreco%ni2able, and whom they
buried piously in the little churchyard at
| Vile d'Avray, of the machine works which
the good old Beruntjit still managed for Su-
2anne's sake. then he gave Roger what
money he had, which was some 10000 francs
which was the profits of the past year and a
half, and II suit Of his own clothes When
all this was done it was nearly o'clock.
Roger said:
81 must 90 from here at on the train, and
it will be rocc.,lry r, rouse suzanne and get
her drossc
With heavy hearts the old couple reused
and dressed the child and wrapped her in a
warm fur cloak and hood and pulled thick
wooden stockings over her shoes that she
might not be cold. \ small bundle of neces
saries for Suzanne was made up, and then
the time had come for them to 20. The old
aunt Nept those hard wrunG tears Of the
aged as she wrapped the little child she loved
80 tenderly, and then they opened the door
The weather had changed and the snow wa,
falling in great flakes, obscuiiug the road
and rendering it almost impossible to see q
yard in alyauc.
"Roger," said the old man, II forgot tc
say that Suzanne, after the fever she had
has never seemed to remember that dreadful
experience. She thinks that You and hel
mother are travelling would not try t.
awaken her memory. She viii be happier
so. thiuk God had pity upon her youth and
tenderness and 50 yelled her memory"
God grant it,, said Laroque 81 wish
also might forget"